Ustad Bismillah Khan

Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib, the shehnai maestro from India, was born on March 21, 1916. He is the person behind making the shehnai a famous classical instrument and has performed in almost every capital city across the globe. In 2001, he became the third classical musician to be conferred with Bharat Ratna.

In 1947, on the eve of India’s independence, Khan had the honour of performing at Delhi’s Red Fort. He also performed on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony at the Red Fort on January 26, 1950. He became a cultural part of India's Independence Day Celebrations, telecast every year on August 15 on Doordarshan. He passed away on August 21, 2006.